Councillor fears urban threat

By Paul Dunlop
CARDINIA councillor Bill Pearson fears the shire’s rapid urbanisation means its rural voice could one day be lost.
The Bunyip Ward representative said a major challenge for residents — and their councillors — in outlying areas of the shire will be to maintain an effective say in shire affairs when the tidal wave of growth sweeps through.
Cr Pearson said he was concerned ruralbased councillors would lack clout on a citydominated council.
Cardinia’s population is forecast to almost double to more than 100,000 over the next 25 years and most of the newcomers will live in the growth corridor area around Beaconsfield, Officer and Pakenham.
Cr Pearson said it was likely that shire boundaries would have to be redrawn to take into account the growth, raising the prospect of even more councillors in the central wards.
“There is massive development happening in the growth corridor but it is only a pin prick in terms of the total area of the shire,” he said.
“It is a big problem. Most of Cardinia is rural but there are only two rural councillors.”
Cr Pearson and Port Ward councillor Doug Hamilton between them represent an area that covers more than two thirds of the entire shire.
But the number of people living in Port and Bunyip wards is only about a third of the shire’s total population.
Cr Pearson said the cultural clash would be keenly felt in coming years as the once distinct areas of town and country continued to merge.